He is one of Hollywood's leading actors who commands millions of pounds per movie. But Johnny Depp, the star of Charlie and Chocolate Factory and Pirates of the Caribbean, is taking a break from filming to narrate a Radio 2 programme dedicated to his hero James Dean.

Depp, 42, a committed Anglophile who has already starred in episodes of the BBC comedies The Fast Show and the Vicar of Dibley, agreed to present the documentary after being approached by Bob Geldof.

The hour-long show, which deals with Dean's influence on popular culture, is being produced by Geldof's production company Ten Alps Radio and the Live 8 organiser went out of his way to ask the actor to take part after hearing he was a big fan of the star of Rebel Without A Cause and East Of Eden.

Des Shaw, the producer, said: "It is an extremely exciting project. It is amazing the number of stars who want to get involved. Bob heard that Johnny was a big fan and asked him if he would like to present the programme which he agreed to do.

"James Dean had such an impact on society, especially rock music. Elvis, Bob Dylan and John Lennon were all influenced by him. It is ironic that he died in 1955 before rock'n'roll really took off.

"Johnny himself originally wanted to be rock star. He went to Los Angeles as a teenager to be a musician and still plays a mean guitar."

The show, provisionally titled Johnny Depp on James Dean, is part of the station's autumn line-up of programming, which also includes specials featuring Sir Paul McCartney and Val Kilmer.

The Depp documentary, which will go out on Sept 27, is timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Dean's death at the wheel of his Porsche.

A host of other stars have agreed to take part in the programme including Dennis Hopper, the singer Morrissey and the film maker David Puttnam.

The younger generation will be represented by Carl Barat, the former singer with the band The Libertines.

Depp, who is said to have earned £21 million last year, follows fellow actor Brad Pitt, who narrated a documentary about Nick Drake, the English singer songwriter, for the station last year.

The star of Edward Scissorhands recently paid homage to another counter culture icon, paying for the ashes of Hunter S Thompson, the writer who shot himself six months ago, to be blasted into the air on a giant firework.

Depp is also no stranger to BBC productions. A huge fan of the cult British comedy The Fast Show, he begged its creator Paul Whitehouse to allow him to have a part on the show.

His wish came true when he appeared in the final episode of the show in 2000.

He also appeared in a Comic Relief special version of the Vicar of Dibley with Dawn French. Depp, who is currently producing a follow up to the hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean, has yet to make the documentary but is due to go into the studio after a family holiday with his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis, and their two children.

Sir Paul's programme involves the former Beatle returning to Studio 2 at Abbey Road for an "intimate journey through his songwriting history".

Kilmer, currently starring in a West End production of the Postman Always Rings Twice, will narrate a documentary about the life of Marlon Brando.

The station will also present the world premiere broadcast of The Likes Of Us, a new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, based on the life of the children's champion Dr Barnardo.

The project was their first musical collaboration - written when they were teenagers - and has taken 40 years to bring to the stage.

Radio 2's autumn season also sees the return of Chris Evans in a Saturday afternoon show, beginning on Sept 17.